Muppet Labs
Muppet Labs premiered in the episode with Paul Williams and lasted all five seasons of The Muppet Show. During the first year, the sketch only featured Dr. Bunsen Honeydew. Beginning in season two, Bunsen's assistant, Beaker, was added. For the first two seasons, the set consisted of a plain colored background (usually blue or white) with some cabinets made to look like computers and a desk. In the third season, the set was changed to look more like an office, with a wall clock (which was square in the third season, and circular after that) and a city backdrop. The Muppet Show Season 1 *'All-Purpose Tenderizer' :Dr. Bunsen Honeydew displays the all-purpose tenderizer, which can make anything softer. He demonstrates by tenderizing a dish. :-- Episode 108: Paul Williams :Note: This is one of the few Muppet Labs skits where nobody is a victim. *'Robot Politician' :Dr. Honeydew shows off the robot politician (played by Peter Ustinov), who can be any kind of government ruler. He eventually overheats and explodes. :--Episode 112: Peter Ustinov *'Gorilla Detector' :Dr. Honeydew shows off his latest invention, a gorilla detector, which goes off whenever a gorilla is around. A full-body gorilla shows up in the labs and smashes the cabinets, but the gorilla detector does not do what it's supposed to do until after the gorilla grabs Dr. Honeydew (which leads Bunsen to believe that the creature is not a gorilla). :--seen in Episode 116: Avery Schreiber *'Exploding Clothes' :Dr. Honeydew shows off some of his latest inventions: exploding hats, exploding earmuffs, and exploding neckties. :--seen Episode 118: Phyllis Diller :Note: This is one of the few Muppet Labs sketches where the wall is green instead of blue or white. Season 2 *'Magnetic Carrots' :Dr. Honeydew invents magnetic carrots, which attract steel rabbits. :--seen Episode 202: Zero Mostel :Note: This is the first appearance of Beaker. *'Bunsonium' :Beaker drinks Bunsonium, which makes his head go flat. :--seen in Episode 212: Bernadette Peters :Note: before drinking the Bunsonium, Beaker briefly tips his hair like a hat. His hair would come off again in the Hair-Growing Tonic sketch. *'Nuclear Shaver' :Beaker tries out the nuclear shaver, which is so heavy his head goes down into his shirt. :--seen in Episode 215: Lou Rawls *'Hair-Growing Tonic' :Although Dr. Honeydew is the bald one, he tests out his new hair tonic on Beaker, which makes Beaker's hair rocket off his head. :--seen in Episode 217: Julie Andrews *'Teleporter' :Dr. Honeydew presents his teleporter, which can transport people from one place to another. This makes Kermit furious, so Bunsen transports him away. Bunsen had previously sent Beaker to a jungle in Africa, and when he brings him back, Beaker is being attacked by a gorilla. :--seen in Episode 219: Peter Sellers :Note: This sketch is the debut of Quongo the Wild Mountain Gorilla. *'Automatic Wastebasket' :Dr. Honeydew's newest invention, an automatic wastebasket, won't stop being hungry. :--seen in Episode 221: Bob Hope *'Electric Nose Warmer :Beaker tests out a nose warmer, which is a little too hot. :--seen in Episode 222: Teresa Brewer Season 3 *'Elevator Shoes' :Dr. Honeydew has good news for short, stubbly people like Beaker (who isn't really short): He invented the elevator shoes, which can make people taller. He pulls the lever, making Beaker grow (and revealing that Beaker wears stripey socks, which would be included on many Beaker toys). :--seen in Episode 301: Kris Kristofferson & Rita Coolidge :Note: This is the first appearance of the new Muppet Labs set. *'Super Adhesive' :Gilda Radner volunteers to assist Bunsen and Beaker with the super glue that Dr. Honeydew invented. However, Gilda accidentally squirts glue all over the theater, causing everybody to be stuck. :--seen in Episode 304: Gilda Radner *'Edible Paperclips' :Beaker enjoys eating edible paper clips...until his nose falls off. :--seen in Episode 305: Pearl Bailey *'Shrinking Pills' :--seen in Episode 306: Jean Stapleton *'Germ Enlarger' :Beaker makes a small germ bigger, but the germ covers Beaker. :--seen in Episode 307: Alice Cooper *'Fire-Proof Paper' :--seen in Episode 318: Leslie Uggams Season 4 *'Banana Sharpener' :--seen in Episode 415: Anne Murray *'Luggage Compressor' :Dr. Honeydew invents a machine that can make any kind of luggage flat. :--seen in Episode 416: Jonathan Winters *'Milking Machine' :Dr. Honeydew invents some kind of milking machine that ends up changing Beaker's hair. :--seen in Episode 418: Christopher Reeve *'Pet Converter' :Dr. Honeydew shows off an invention that can turn anything into a pet. :--seen in Episode 422: Andy Williams :Note: This sketch features a rare look at Gaffer without her eye patch. Season 5 *'Turning Gold Into Cottage Cheese' :Dr. Honeydew has invented a machine (does it have a name?) that can turn any kind of gold into cottage cheese. Beaker takes a gold bar from backstage, so Bruno, the security guard who was supposed to be guarding the gold, comes on-stage to get it back, but it's already turned into cottage cheese, so he chases after Beaker. :--seen in Episode 504: Shirley Bassey *'Copying Machine' :Dr. Honeydew is sad because Beaker is missing, but he presents his latest invention, a copying machine, which Beaker was hiding in (Beaker was trying to get out of doing the sketch). This causes Beaker to be duplicated, and the theater is overrun with Beaker clones. :--seen in Episode 514: Mac Davis The Jim Henson Hour *'Exercise Shoes' :Dr. Honeydew has invented shoes that can help you exercise while at work. Beaker wears the shoes and exercises his way to the ceiling, but then Bunsen says that the shoes automatically stop at the sound of a bell. :--seen in Episode 107 Muppets Tonight *'Robot Abraham Lincoln' :Dr. Honeydew invents a robotic version of Abraham Lincoln, which runs amuck. :--seen in Episode 206 Category:Muppet Show Sketches